


Revisions

by EldritchSandwich



Category: Ever After High
Genre: Ambiguous Relationships, Destiny, Episode: Dragon Games, F/F, First Kiss, Fluffy Sandwich, Relationship Discussions, Romantic Friendship, Spoilers, True Love's Kiss
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-21
Updated: 2016-07-21
Packaged: 2018-07-25 18:59:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,109
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7544173
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EldritchSandwich/pseuds/EldritchSandwich
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Now that she knows what really woke her from her magical sleep, Apple White might have to make some adjustments to her Happily Ever After.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Revisions

"So..."

"Yeah."

Apple and Darling were sitting on the edge of Apple and Raven's balcony, feet swinging over the side, staring out at the woods and buildings of Ever After in order to avoid looking at each other. Well, Darling would occasionally give Apple a sidelong glance, but Apple's eyes stayed fixed on the horizon. Darling cleared her throat.

"I...I'm sorry I didn't tell you."

That actually made Apple smirk. After the business with the Evil Queen, no one had been willing to tell her how she was awakened from her magical sleep; they'd change the subject (Ashlynn, Hunter, Maddie), or say it wasn't their place (Raven, Briar, Cerise), or blush a lot (Darling, Dexter), or just start wallowing (Daring). So after about a week of wondering what could possibly be so bad, her imagination coming up with more and more horrible scenarios, she'd resorted to the truly desperate; she'd asked Cedar. She'd cornered her in the courtyard between classes and asked point blank before anyone could stop her, at which point Cedar had gotten a look of horror on her face, squeezed her mouth and eyes shut like she was trying to hold her breath, shaken like she was about to explode...

And then screamed "Darling woke you up with a kiss and everybody knows and I think it means she's your true love!" at the top of her wooden lungs.

As Ashlynn and Briar and Raven had only then rushed in to reassure her, of course, it wasn't quite that simple—maybe it was True Love's Kiss, maybe it was CPR, maybe Darling just knocked the poison apple out of her throat, blah blah blah—but it didn't change the fact that Darling was the one who woke her up. And as if that weren't jarring enough, she'd immediately turned around, eyes wide and ears ringing with the sound of her destiny shattering around her, to find said Charming standing across the courtyard behind her, eyes just as wide, looking like she was about to have a heart attack.

And now here they were.

"What do you think happened?" Apple asked. Darling frowned.

"I...I don't know. Everything happened so fast, and I...I was just trying to help you breathe, but...then there was this warmth, and this light, and...I don't know."

Apple's shoulders slumped in relief, or maybe disappointment, or maybe both. "So you weren't trying to kiss me?"

Darling shifted her weight, the armor over her dress clinking as she moved. "No. But..."

Apple finally turned to look at her, just out of the corner of her eye. "But what?"

Darling swallowed. "But if I'd thought it was going to work...I would have."

Apple blinked. "Oh...oh."

Darling sighed. "I...I've wanted to be a hero my whole life. I never wanted to be a damsel, but I guess I never really believed that...that I was ever doing more than pretending to be anything else. But then Raven destroyed the Storybook, and then my...then I woke you up." She shook her head softly. "I guess I don't know anymore."

"Do you want it to be true?" Apple asked. Now she was looking at Darling full-on, studying her face, trying to understand. "Do you want to be my...my prince?"

Darling took a deep breath, then nodded. Apple's eyes widened, and Darling shook her head. "It's not just because I want to be a hero. It's..." Her eyes flicked momentarily to Apple's, looking almost ashamed. "It's because it's you."

Apple was silent for a long moment after that. Then she took a breath. "I was so sure I knew what I wanted," she muttered. "It didn't actually matter how I felt about Daring, because...because we were destined to be together, so I knew whatever I was supposed to feel, I'd feel it eventually. He's such a good friend, and I..."

Apple's shoulders began to shake, tears welling in her eyes. Before she could think about the consequences or how it would look or how Apple would take it, Darling wrapped her arm around Apple's shoulders and pulled her into a hug.

"I'm so sorry," Darling whispered. "I wanted to change my destiny, I...I never wanted to change yours."

Apple took a deep breath, her body relaxing into Darling's warm, strong grip. "I'm not so sure you did," Apple murmured. "If you hadn't been there..." She pulled back, far enough to look Darling in the eyes but not far enough to leave her arms. "What if it was always supposed to be you?"

Darling swallowed. "Is that...what you want?"

Apple pursed her lips nervously. "Is it what you want?"

Darling smiled gingerly. Burying her head in Darling's chest had caused a strand of Apple's perfectly coiffed hair to slip free and tumble down in front of her eyes; ever so slowly, Darling raised the tips of her fingers to brush it back behind her ear. "I'd love to be your Prince Charming, Apple."

Apple licked her lips. "What does that mean, though? For two girls?"

Darling frowned. "I don't know. But...if it really is destiny, we'll figure it out."

 _Destiny_ , Apple thought. Her destiny, her soulmate, her prince, her _true love_ , was a girl. That...that probably should have shocked her more than it did. But sitting here in Darling's arms, talking like this, well...it didn't feel wrong. She licked her lips again, suddenly very, very aware of the knowledge that Darling's had touched them without her even remembering how it felt.

"Darling?"

"Hm?"

"What was it like?"

"What was what like?"

"Kissing me."

Darling's breath hitched, and she turned and looked down to find Apple looking back up at her, eyes wide, beautiful red lips parted ever so slightly. Waiting. Darling tipped her head down, and Apple's breath hitched too.

It was just a gentle touch, not even as hard or as fervent as the one in the forest that may or may not have counted as their first. But just like with that one, as soon as their lips touched, Apple was suddenly and irrevocably _awake_. She exhaled as they parted, Darling's strong, gentle thumb tracing the corner of the giddy grin that was growing on her face. After all, she'd always wanted to follow her destiny. Why should that change now?

Darling smiled too, a smile that held more promise than every moment Apple had ever spent with Daring. "Magic."

As Apple leaned in for a kiss that was harder and more fervent than the one that unquestionably counted as their first, she found herself unable to disagree. 'Magic' was definitely the word.


End file.
